Punters post-race: Day 2 of The Championships in review

Winx equalled Black Caviar's record of 25 straight victories with a sublime performance in the Queen Elizabeth as trainer Chris Waller picked up a G1 treble on day two of The Championships.

Star Performer

Winx - Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Randwick R7)

25 straight and this was just about the best of the lot. Giving away a big head start against a quality field on a firm surface, Winx stormed down the outside to not just win, but put a gap of 3.8L on her rivals.

Front Bar Fodder

No shame in defeat for Queen Elizabeth beaten brigadeWhile they were no match for Winx, Gailo Chop, Happy Clapper and Humidor all performed well to run the popular first four.

2ndGailo Chop, beaten 3.8L (Mark Zahra): “He has run enormous. There aren’t many times you go into a Group 1 happy to run second but I think we can do that today.”

3rdHappy Clapper, beaten 4.1L (Kerrin McEvoy): “He went great. It was just a modest tempo. He applied himself well though and stayed on nicely.”

4th Humidor, beaten 4.9L (Blake Shinn): “Humidor ran super. There just wasn’t enough tempo there to give him an opportunity to run at his best. I thought he ran a brave race with a creditable fourth.”

The old boy takes out the Sydney CupEvergreen stayer Who Shot Thebarman made it a G1 treble for Chris Waller with a narrow victory in the Sydney Cup. At nine, Who Shot Thebarman ($19) was the oldest runner in the two-mile race, but he showed age wasn’t slowing him down, running over the top of 100/1 shot Zacada on the line. Fellow Kiwi Sir Charles Road finished 3rd. Who Shot Thebarman’s second G1 victory came four years after he claimed the Auckland Cup when trained in New Zealand. He is likely to contest his fourth Melbourne Cup later this year, having missed last year’s race due to an elevated temperature.

“I think the owners will leave no decision but for me to run him. Hopefully the handicapper gives him some relief,” Waller said post-race.

“That is the best he’s looked for a 9yo. He was a test as a younger horse and we haven’t given up on him.”

Zacada almost pulled off a big upset with the Baker/Forsman gelding hitting the lead at the 200m.

“I thought I had pinched it,” jockey Dean Holland said. “I was very upset to see that I got beat on the line. It was a good, tough effort and a great training performance.”

Favourite Almandin commenced a wide run at the 800m but never threatened, finishing back in 8th while stablemate Aloft had to be pulled-up before the turn for home. There was also major disappointment for connections of Japanese stayer Pre Stwick who didn’t even make it into the barriers. Joao Moreira had concerns with his action on the way to the gates and was a late withdrawal.

Moreira bounces back aboard CatchyThe Magic Man’s struggles in Australia continued early on Saturday with his ride aboard the heavily backed Outback Barbie in the Percy Sykes Stakes. Moreira had the option to take the Tony Gollan-trained filly off the fence early, but elected to stay on the inside and had to pray for luck. That luck didn’t come at the top of the straight and he was left boxed in until 150m from home.

“She ran fantastic. She found a bit of a traffic jam in the straight. If that didn’t happen she would have won the race,” Moreira said following Outback Barbie's 3rd placing.

Moreira was in the winner’s circle with his next ride however aboard Catchy in the G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint. He settled the Lindsay Park-trained filly at the back and had favourite Viridine to his inside. While Hugh Bowman went searching for a miracle run in the straight (See Saturday Slaughter), the Magic Man got Catchy to the extreme outside and the filly showed her class to score by 1.5L. Catchy was on the back up after finishing 7th to Houtzen in the PJ Bell where track bias played a major part in her defeat.

The Magic Man was all smiles after getting a win on Australian soil aboard Catchy. Image: Getty

Bowman next to bounce back as Unforgotten shows her staying prowessCould Unforgotten run a strong 2400m? That question was answered emphatically by the Fastnet Rock filly in the Australian Oaks. Sent around the $4 favourite, Unforgotten was able to run down Hiyaam who had set a strong gallop throughout the staying test. Early in the straight it appeared a repeat of the Vinery Stud Stakes could be on the cards as Michael Dee skipped a couple of lengths clear on Hiyaam, before Unforgotten emerged on the outside. Unforgotten hit the lead at the 100m, going on to score by a length.

The dive lands!!

Hiyaam puts on a bold staying display out in front, but the game favourite Unforgotten quickens the chase and runs her down in a spectacular finish to the G1 Australian Oaks @royalrandwick. pic.twitter.com/SRISMqB8XK

Pure Elation salutes, bleeds from both nostrilsThe Snowden stable and jockey Michael Walker had expected Pure Elation to be a live chance in the Blue Diamond Stakes at the start of the autumn, but things didn’t go to plan in Melbourne and the filly didn’t even make it into the field. The I Am Invincible filly certainly found her form back in Sydney however, culminating with a G2 victory in the Percy Sykes Stakes. It was a terrific effort by the stable to have the filly in top order following the long preparation. Unfortunately, she was found to have bled from both nostrils post-race and while it won’t impact her immediate racing given she was heading for a spell, another bleed would see her career end in Australia.

Alizee back to her best in G1 Coolmore Legacy StakesThe autumn promised so much for Alizee after her first-up win in the Light Fingers, but she failed to place at her next three starts. She was dominant on Saturday however against a quality field, coming from well back to defeat Prompt Response by two lengths with Heavens Above in 3rd.

Frosty ice cool as favourites come undone in South Pacific ClassicA strong tempo set by favourites Renewal and Isaurian set the race up for the swoopers in the Listed South Pacific Classic and it was Damian Lane aboard roughie California Turbo who took advantage coming from off the pace. Brenton Avdulla aboard Renewal and Bowman aboard Isaurian went at each other out in front before Glyn Schofield aboard Waimea injected even more pace mid-race. 'Frosty' Lane sat patiently aboard California Turbo in the second half of the field before pushing the button at the 300m. The Snowden-trained colt just held off a flying Dark Dream with Renewal sticking on for 3rd.

Lane made it a double in the final race of the day aboard Quilista. The Darren Weir-trained mare showed amazing early speed to lead easily and she maintained a strong gallop throughout to defeat Ravi and White Moss.

CAULFIELD

Mother Nature goes whack!The weather has been unseasonably warm in Melbourne during April but that all changed today, with freezing winds and heavy rain lashing the Caulfield track. A massive downpour led to a delay prior to race two and not surprisingly, the track was downgraded from a good 4 to a soft 6.

25° and sunny on Friday, 12° and p***ing down on Saturday - welcome to Melbourne!

Lindsay Park unleash (yet another) smart 2YOOcean Knight joined the never-ending Lindsay Park production line of 2YOs with a brilliant swooping win in the opener. A drifter from $5 out to $9, the Ocean Park colt came with a withering burst in the straight to bolt home by nearly 3L.

"We've always liked him but being by Ocean Park we didn't think he'd be a two-year-old," a pleasantly-surprised co-trained Tom Dabernig said.

Ocean Knight comes home with a wet sail to record an eye-catching debut win for @lindsayparkrace.

Preusker plunges landIt was a big day out for the Paul Preusker stable with two heavily-backed runners saluting. Kapaulenko firmed from $8.50 into $4.80 (some deductions) and recorded a strong on-pace victory in race two, before Magic Consol justified his strong backing ($13 into $6.50) to take out the fourth. Both horses were superbly handled by 3kg-claimer Tahlia Hope who rode the tricky conditions to perfection.

Cool double for BaylissSydney visitor Savacool completed an early double for Regan Bayliss with a strong win in the Thomas North Handicap (1600m). The Ellerton/Zahra-trained Sheezdashing chased strongly in the straight but the result was never really in doubt from the time runners straightened for home. The winner will now head to Adelaide for the Australasian Oaks at Morphettville in May.

.@reganbayliss makes it an early double. Savacool closes off the race with a powerful effort.

#TheyKnewTiamo Grace drifted from $4 out to $6.50 in race four and barely went a yard on the wet track. The Weir mare actually broke her maiden status on a soft 7 track but was utterly hopeless on the soft 6 today.

Slogathon in the Galilee Series FinalThey came in at long, long intervals here, with a lazy 51.3L separating first and last in the 2400m contest. In a genuine 'survival of the fittest', it was Lindsay Park gelding Won Won Too who landed the knockout punch after being backed from $61 into $18. Rezealient ($14) made it a long-priced stable quinella, while leader and favourite Han Xin battled on gamely for third.

Moor rides the Caulfield quaddieSee Punters Pearler

AROUND THE GROUNDSBold tactics pay off for ballsy BatesDeclan Bates did his best David Pires impersonation with a bold outside-rail-hugging ride on Flaubert's Gift in the second at Ararat. The Victorian track copped a deluge of rain so Bates decided to make a bee-line for the fresh ground out wide - as wide as you can get in fact. Bates basically guided Flaubert's Gift along the outside fence for most of the 1310m race and the tactic paid off, with the Dodson-trained galloper winning by 2L.

That's unbelievable! @decbates ventures to the outside fence and produces an exceptional ride aboard Flaubert's Gift. Trend for the rest of the day?

Mishani fill-up on the Sunny CoastThe 'Mishani' horses cleaned up at the Sunshine Coast, with Mishani Hustler (R2), Mishani Honcho (R6), and Mishani Bullitt (R8) all saluting. All three horses are with different trainers - Ben Currie, Shane Edmunds and Chris Anderson respectively - but are all owned by Mick Crooks, who sadly lost his wife to cancer recently.

Upset in the WA OaksFriar Fox was crunched from $1.90 into $1.65 but failed to fire a shot in the G3 WA Oaks (2400m). With the hot-pot fading out in the straight to finish midfield, it was up to Like a Butterly, American Joy and 60-1 shot Special Alert to fight out the finish. The latter, the least-fancied of the Grant and Alana Williams-trained quintet, caused a major boilover under the urgings of Chris Parnham to prevail by half-a-length.

Valour Road takes out G2 Karrakatta PlateThe Simon Miller-trained Valour Road made it 2 from 2 with a strong victory in the G2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) at Ascot. Unlike the Oaks, the race went to script betting-wise, with the first two in the market running the quinella.

Mixed fortunes for Weir In SAChequered Flag took out the opening race at Morphettville for Coffey and Weir but things took a turn for the worse after that. Handsome Thief was heavily-backed to win race four ($2.70 into $2.10) and was poised to strike at the top of the straight but just plugged home into 6th in a most disappointing display. Weir also saddled up the hot-pot Leicester in the seventh - the Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) - but the $2F ended up in a different suburb early and just had way too much to do in the straight.

Tatoosh does it againTatoosh has taken South Australia by storm since joining Will Clarken's stable this year. The former NSW-trained galloper is now 4 from 4 in SA, with today's victory in race five his most dominant. He was backed from $4 into $2.70 and never looked like losing after travelling sweetly outside of the leader.

FOUR IN A ROW! @williamclarken has well and truly breathed new life into the career of TATOOSH.

Punters Pearler

Daniel Moor - Take your pick!Two weeks ago Moor made headlines when he guided 8YO stayer Shoreham ($61) to a shock win in the Easter Cup over 2000m at Caulfield. That was just an entree to what he served up today in what was a truly remarkable afternoon in the saddle for the hard-working and underrated hoop. Moor rode all four legs of the Caulfield quaddie, and they weren't exactly in the market. Magnapal ($26) got the ball rolling, before Reilmartini ($7) and King River ($26) sailed home under the guidance of Moor. He completed his riding masterclass with victory aboard Working From Home ($11) in the last, with the Moor quaddie paying in excess of $60,000. 👏👏👏

We keep saying it but how bloody well is Daniel Moor riding? Seems to be continually riding winners that aren’t given much of a chance in the market which only adds further merit.#RacingLive

Get in the Sea

Success Days Days of success might be over for the Irish galloper. The Ken Condon-trained runner finished a distant last in the Queen Elizabeth. His last three runs read 10 of 10, 10 of 10 and 10 of 10.

LuvaluvaIt was horrible all-round for one of the leading contenders in the Oaks. She was back and wide in the run and never came into it, finishing 15.8L off the winner.

Lee MagorrianMagorrian's ride on Irish Optimism in the opener at the Sunshine Coast was a genuine stinkbomb. He well and truly missed the boat in a race with a few speed humps.

Race 5 at CaulfieldIt was wet, it was slow, and it's probably not a race you want to be using as a form reference going forward.

Saint ValoremDid a Chautauqua and stayed in the gates. Eventually got moving but finished 20L off the winner in R8 at Caulfield.

Handsome ThiefHe carried the hopes and dreams of many Morphettville punters today but delivered a sub-par performance. It was a far cry from his sizzling Caulfield win a couple of weeks ago. He was vetted at the start though... #VetCurse